Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Ancient Constellation (1)
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‘What the hell.’
My head throbbed from the incomprehensible situation.
‘Why… why is Noona there?’
In the first timeline, Ha-eun was with Lee Shin-hyeok?
And they were close enough for him to affectionately call her ‘Noona’?
The question remained unanswered as the memory continued.
-Kieeeeeek!
-Dammit! These bastards are persistent!
Ha-eun looked at the vampires chasing the boat and removed the eyepatch covering her left eye.
*Click.*
When the eyepatch came off, a hideous reptilian eye, completely clashing with her beautiful features, was revealed.
-Ugh.
Ha-eun let out a pained groan and stretched both arms forward.
*Fwoooosh!*
An intense storm of fire swept over the vampires rushing toward the boat.
-Kieeeeeeeeeek!!
Flames roared.
The vampires shrieked and dove into the sea, but the fire clinging to their bodies burned fiercely even in the water, as if fueled by oil.
-Hah, hah!
Ha-eun nodded and collapsed onto the deck.
Lee Shin-hyeok picked up the fallen eyepatch and handed it to her.
-Here.
-Thanks.
-Your eye… is it okay? You used it a lot today.
-Yeah. It hurts a bit, but it’s manageable.
Ha-eun put the eyepatch back on.
-Still, you spent a fortune on this eye for me, Shin-hyeok. I have to make it worth the price.
She touched her left eye as she looked back at him.
-…That’s not why I bought you the Dragon’s Eye.
-Huh? Then why’d you buy it?
-Th-That’s.
Lee Shin-hyeok, about to say something, blushed and trailed off.
-It’s nothing. Never mind.
-You’re no fun.
Ha-eun smirked and flicked Lee Shin-hyeok’s forehead.
*Thwack!*
A rather solid sound echoed.
-Agh! Wh-What was that for, Noona?
-Even if that’s not why you bought it, I’ll definitely repay this debt someday.
-…….
-Well, it’ll be tough right now.
Ha-eun gazed at the sea with a bitter expression.
-Right now… there’s someone I need to take care of.
Miserable and desperate.
She bit her lip, staring blankly at the vast ocean.
Her voice scattered faintly on the sea breeze, and then—
*Ting!*
[All lost memories have been successfully restored.]
Lee Shin-hyeok’s memory cut off.
“……”
Oh-jin stood still, staring blankly into the air.
‘Lee Shin-hyeok… bought Noona the Dragon’s Eye?’
If that’s the case.
What about me?
What was I doing at that time?
“What… what the hell happened?”
In the first timeline.
What exactly happened to Ha-eun and me?
Was the ‘someone I need to take care of’ she mentioned me?
If Ha-eun was alive.
Why did I—end up destroying the world?
“…Dammit.”
As his thoughts raced, Oh-jin shook his head with a short curse.
‘There’s too little information.’
He couldn’t deduce anything from fragmented memories alone.
“For now… I guess I have no choice but to raise my blooming stage.”
This wasn’t something he could ask anyone else about.
Lee Shin-hyeok was the only one who had memories of the first timeline.
“Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue and shook off the thoughts.
Memories lingered in his mind like stains.
The image of Ha-eun with Lee Shin-hyeok made his stomach churn with a sickening displeasure.
-Noona!
His bright smile directed at Ha-eun.
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
The only one who can affectionately call her ‘Noona’…
is me.
It’s a privilege only I should have.
Because she is…
My—
“……”
Oh-jin pressed his lips together firmly and started walking.
The stained displeasure clung to him like a sticky liquid.
-*Click.*
He opened the front door.
“Kwon Oh-jin, you bastard! Why haven’t you been in touch?! I told you to call often!”
As soon as the door opened, the sound of urgent footsteps was followed by a familiar voice.
“I’m home, Noona.”
He pulled Ha-eun, who had come to greet him, into a rough hug.
‘Ah.’
The warmth I felt in my arms.
A comforting softness, like holding a baby bird in my palms.
‘Right.’
Whatever happened in the first timeline, the warmth I felt now was real.
“Wh-Whoa?”
He stroked her left eye as she blushed with a flustered expression.
“Wh-What is it? H-Hmm~! W-Were you that eager to see this Noona of yours?”
Ha-eun asked playfully, puffing out her chest.
“Yeah.”
He tightened his arms around her.
“I was going crazy missing you.”
“…H-Huh?”
The sticky feeling of displeasure washed away as if it had never been there.
Happiness filled the emotional void left behind.
“Ah, uh. W-Well. I mean.”
Ha-eun’s body trembled, her expression a mix of confusion and delight.
A satisfied smile formed on Oh-jin’s lips.
In this world, the only one who could see this adorable side of her…
was him.
“Wh-What’s gotten into you? Did you eat something bad? The food in Italy didn’t agree with you?”
Ha-eun asked, her face a mixture of concern and excitement at Oh-jin’s unusual behavior.
“It’s not that. I’m just happy to see you after so long.”
“A-Ahem! W-Well, you little punk. What would you do without your big sis, huh?”
“……”
Right.
Just as she said.
“…I wouldn’t be able to live.”
If I were to lose her.
If she were taken from me.
It wasn’t hard to imagine just how broken I would become.
‘I don’t care what happened in the first timeline.’
What matters is now.
The only thing that matters is that she’s by my side.
“…Are you really okay? Did something happen?”
By now, Ha-eun seemed to have sensed something was off and asked in a worried tone.
“Noona.”
“Y-Yeah?”
He gently reached out and caressed her cheek.
“Smile for me, just once.”
“…You want me to smile?”
“Yeah.”
“What the hell.”
Ha-eun looked up at Oh-jin with a bewildered expression before letting out a deep sigh and forcing the corners of her mouth up.
“L-Like this?”
It was an incredibly awkward smile, but…
“…Yeah.”
It wasn’t the sorrowful smile he had seen in Lee Shin-hyeok’s memory.
“That’s enough.”
With just this.
I can keep on living.
“……”
Ha-eun looked at him with eyes that held a hint of pity.
“Geez.”
She scratched her reddish-brown hair, which was tied in a ponytail.
“I was going to scold you when you got back. But I can’t scold you when you’re like this.”
She didn’t know what had happened.
But Oh-jin’s current state was very different from his usual self.
“Hehe. Sorry. I was busy with work, so I couldn’t call.”
He decided to keep the matter of Isabella a secret for now.
Telling her would only cause unnecessary worry.
‘It’s not like we’ll be seeing each other for a while anyway.’
Isabella was in Italy, playing the role of a ‘Saintess.’
She ran dozens of charities.
She even participated in volunteer work herself.
‘On top of that, she’s also in charge of the Black Star Guild.’
Unless she had dozens of bodies, she wouldn’t be able to easily leave Italy with such a murderous schedule.
‘That’s probably why she asked when I’d be able to come back before we parted.’
If she could freely travel to Korea, there would have been no reason to ask that question in the first place.
‘In other words.’
Unless I go to Italy to see her myself.
It’s highly unlikely that we’ll run into each other.
And of course, he didn’t have the slightest intention of returning to Italy.
‘At least not until I’m confident I can protect myself.’
In any case, he wouldn’t be seeing Isabella for a while.
It would be better to explain things about her later.
“Hmph. You sound like a husband who cheated on a business trip.”
“Pfft! Do you think of me as your husband, Noona?”
“Oh? Look at you getting cheeky again.”
Ha-eun chuckled and playfully pinched his side.
“Well, let’s just say you’re a candidate.”
“I’m honored, Noona.”
“Hmph. If you know that, then pay a little more attention to this Noona of yours.”
Ha-eun smiled sweetly and gently wrapped her arm around his.
Though not on Isabella’s level, a substantial softness enveloped his arm.
“What’s this?”
Ha-eun, who was leaning her head on his shoulder with her arm linked through his, pointed to the bag in Oh-jin’s hand.
“Brought burgers.”
“Whoa, burgers? How long has it been?”
“Hehe. Missed them, didn’t you?”
“I was just craving them, you little punk. You really know this Noona’s heart.”
Sitting on the living room sofa, he took out the burgers he had brought.
“Munch, munch. Ahh! Guinness or whatever, the original is the best!”
Ha-eun took a big bite of her burger and shivered with delight.
After neatly finishing two Whopper sets with her, he leaned back leisurely on the sofa.
“Alright, present your lap so your Noona can watch TV comfortably.”
“Don’t want to.”
“Hey, why not! I put up with all your whining today!”
“That’s…”
Now that she mentioned it, she had a point.
“Since you’re indulging me, I’ll use your lap as a pillow today.”
Today, I’m going into baby mode.
“Oh-jin, you… do you want to overwork your noona’s one and only pair of legs?”
“No.”
Is she pulling out the trump card?
“Geez. Fine, fine. You’re impossible.”
“Hehehe! Yes!”
Ha-eun giggled and laid her head on his lap.
“Wow, our little Oh-jin’s thighs have gotten pretty sturdy.”
*Smirk.*
Oh-jin gently stroked Ha-eun’s hair as she lay on his lap.
That unsettling feeling from before.
He could barely even remember it now.
‘Right.’
To feel this warmth forever.
‘I have to get stronger.’
So strong that no one would dare touch her.
So strong that they wouldn’t even think of challenging me.
‘For a while, I should focus on clearing quests.’
He had asked the Valhalla Guild for Sacred Stones.
But he had no intention of just sitting around and waiting.
‘Just in case there aren’t enough.’
Since he didn’t know how many Sacred Stones would be needed to clear the quests, it was best to secure as many as possible.
“Oh-jin, you got anything going on tomorrow?”
“Why?”
“I have to go to the Association, wanna come with?”
“The Association?”
Why the Association?
“You know, that Jun-man guy? He asked me if I wanted to join the Association in a non-commuting capacity, just like you.”
When did Mr. Jun-man contact Noona?
‘Well, I guess.’
Ha-eun had also become an 8-Star Awakened this time.
It would be stranger if they didn’t try to recruit her.
“They said they’d give me a free salary, so there’s no reason not to go, right? And, uh… you’re in the Association too.”
“Really? Then should we go together tomorrow?”
He was planning to check on how the internal faction problem was progressing anyway.
“Hehe. Now we’re even coworkers.”
Ha-eun beamed, her head resting on his lap, looking incredibly pleased.
“…You’re something else.”
Oh-jin chuckled as if he couldn’t be helped.
Suddenly.
He became curious about something.
“Noona.”
“Hm?”
“Do you think… you owe me a debt?”
“A debt? Hmm.”
Ha-eun pursed her lips in thought.
“I don’t know. I used to think so, but not really anymore?”
*Twist.*
Ha-eun, who had been lying on his thighs, turned her body to look up at him.
“Isn’t having a pretty and sexy noona like me around enough to clear any debt?”
*Kyahaha!*
She shrugged her shoulders boastfully.
“…Is that so?”
“Hey. What’s with that reaction? You’re making me look bad, you jerk.”
“It’s fine.”
“What’s fine?”
“Just… everything.”
Oh-jin smiled faintly and stroked her hair.
Endlessly.
As if stroking a priceless treasure.